My private accounts!
This is my personal wallet:
The tick-removal-tool with integrated magnifier in a bank card format is not really a bargain, but has helped me well in two cases already. Here the link of it: amazon.de.
The content:
1. DKB Visa Card
The most often used card is the DKB Visa Card.
I use it about three times per month to withdraw cash. The average withdrawal amount is Euros 310.
Moreover, I use this Visa Card for almost all card payments, because I appreciate it a lot that the withdrawals, as well as the cashless payments, are gathered without interest until the end of the month and then are automatically settled with the current account.
At the amount of my transaction, this only works with a corresponding credit line. As I use the DKB-account as my salary account, I enjoy to have a sufficiently high credit line.
I have submitted the DKB Visa Card at Amazon. Herein, I appreciate the wide product range, as well as the customer service that is extremely focused on solutions.
The DKB is my current account head office!
⇒ Instruction of the account opening ⇒ Open the account: www.dkb.de
2. Comdirect Girocard
As you perhaps known from numerous blog articles, the free current account of the Comdirect is my secondary bank account.
I carry the Girocard of this bank in my wallet. This is my acceptance-joker, if I am in a shop that does not accept credit cards and I do not carry enough cash or do not want to pay in cash!
Additionally, I can, if I want, withdraw fee-free with the Girocard at the ATMs of the Cashgroup, as well as up to Euros 200 at my frequently visited supermarkets when purchasing at least Euros 20. I sometimes do it, when I have to go shopping anyways.
Why so much cash? Well, who has children and wife knows that the husband has to bring home the cheese. 😉 Moreover, I pay snacks or restaurant visits most often in cash – due to the tipping.
The Comdirect is my secondary account
⇒ Instruction of the account opening ⇒ Open the account: www.comdirect.de
3. ING-DiBa
On the page the 3 best current accounts of Germany, you can read that I use number 3 as an emergency acccount. This is the reason, why I do not carry the ING-DiBa Visa- nor the Girocard in my wallet.
If the case should happen that one of my other accounts should get blocked (out of any possible reason), then I could immediately switch and use the ING-DiBa. The cards are active and available.
The most important transfer-templates are created and an equally high credit line as at the DKB is also provided.
Secret advice:
At the DKB, the salary must really be transferred to the account in order to increase the overdraft facility beyond the standard credit line, as available for new customers. At the ING-DiBa, one submits the proof of salary to demonstrate the creditworthiness. An actual payment transfer is not necessary.
Just this fact alone converts the current account at the ING-DiBa into an outstanding choice for a reserve-account that is ready for use.
Moreover, one can conclude higher cash deposits free of charge through the counters of the Reisebank, just as I have shown to you in this article: Instructions of depositing.
The ING-DiBa is my ready-for-use reserve account
⇒ More about bank and account ⇒ Open the account: www.ing-diba.de (€ 50 including bonus)
What do you think, when looking at this photo?
One can also order business card cases in different designs through this link at Amazon.de (Could I inspire you a little?)
For the first time ever, I am revealing you another previously secret advice from practice in this article: Reserve-credit card and emergency money in the business card box!
Admittedly, one is only seldomly robbed or loses the wallet someway else.
But if it happens, one has no money and cards. This is not so bad, if one is at home. But on the road, a whole chain of problems can be triggered.
Change of perspective: you go out at night and do not want to take your whole wallet with all the cards and other content with you … wouldn’t it be useful to have a replacement credit card in the business card box with you?
What you cannot see on the photo: behind the credit card and the Euros-10-bill, there is another bigger bill!
Credit card and emergency money stored at the business cards
Barclaycard New Visa
For this function, I have chosen the Barclaycard New Visa. Simply out of the reason, because I have the card since very long and it does not cost any annual fee as a single credit card also without use.
Even the withdrawing of cash is free of charge. Very useful.
Moreover, I have a rather high credit line since the training of the card, which remains the same also without using it. Who knows, maybe it will safe me on one of my journeys abroad?
Feedback of our readers summarized for you:
Getting issued the Barclaycard as a free credit card is apparently not that easy anymore. In past months, more than half of the applications were rejected.
Interesting was that some readers wrote and told me that they have applied for the Gebührenfrei MasterCard of the Advanzia Bank and were accepted.
If I would apply for the cards again today, then I would try it at the Barclaycard first and then at the Advanzia Bank. For the purpose of a reserve card in the business card box, both cards are well appropriate.
Do you have questions to my accounts?
I would be glad to share my knowledge and my experiences with you being smart bank customers. Please use the comments box.
You can also use the comments feature to report of your own account plans and uses.
This is the strength of our special portal that throughout the years, more and more smart bank customers come here regularly to read, exchange ideas and help each other with questions, answers and other supplements.
Many thanks for this commitment!
Hey Gregor/Tanja.
I am a big and fellow fan of your website.
Can you make an article, or just right here in the comments how to get a credit card/overdraft or a loan in Germany.
The thing is i live in EU in Estonia, but rates here are horrible, around 18% and up. Question is, is it possible to open German account and later get credit card/overdraft, if i will transfer salary from my Estonian bank account to German one.
Or you have to live and have contract in Germany only?
Thank you a lot for output!
Hello!
Many thanks for the great feedback!
Would Estonian banks grant credits to foreign citizens who live abroad and generate their income there? Probably very seldom. That’s the same in Germany, too. Even when we can quickly and free of charge transfer money within the SEPA area, granting a credit – like an overdraft facility or a line of credit on a credit card – regularly ends at the national border.
You may assume though, that this will change during the next years. Once there are some really good offers regarding that, we will report.